Too much to cope
by YulianaHenderson
Summary: Mark is upset after Amanda's death. But is his new girlfriend really who she seems to be? Pairing Amanda/Hoffman flashbacks, rated T for language. Sequel to Game Over.
1. Chapter One

**A/N: So, this is the first chapter of 'Too Much To Cope'! It's a sequel to 'Game Over', so, if you haven't read that one, make sure to read that first, or otherwise, you will miss a lot! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saw.**

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><p>"Paige, could you give me my bag please?" Corbett said, while looking into the mirror to tie her hair into a bun. Paige and Corbett always helped each other preparing for ballet class. Why, they did not know, but it made them feel a bit needed. Mostly because they were both alone. They weren't the type of girls who hung out with other girls and come home late in the evening, really drunk or hyper. No, they were actually role model girls. Not that they cared, though, they just did the best they could to ease Mark's pains. Mark. That's another thing. After Amanda's dead nine years ago, he felt happy. Not because of Amanda's death, no. He just made the best of his life with Corbett and Paige, and they made him happy. But ever since he showed Paige the tape Amanda made for her, he felt the same emptiness he felt right after she died. He felt sad for almost half a year now.<p>

"Were is it?" Paige dragged Corbett back into reality. Corbett sighed.

"It's in the... Um... Under the..." Corbett said, and looked around. She wasn't really clean on her room. Everywhere you looked were clothes just laying on the floor, pointes, tutus, name it and it was there, laying in the whole room.

"Well?" Paige said, while tapping with her foot on the floor. Paige was inpatient. Really, _really_ impatient.

Corbett walked around the room. She lost her bag almost every week, sometimes even more than once a week.

"Here!" Corbett exclaimed, and grabbed the bag from under her bed. Paige sighed.

"Why don't you clean up your room?" Paige laughed, and walked downstairs. Corbett rolled her eyes. Paige was becoming Mark, Mark always nagged at Corbett to clean up her room. She never wanted to. She was too busy doing other things, like focusing on her ballet career.

"Hi Dad!" Corbett happily exclaimed, and kissed Mark on the top of his head. Mark was sitting on the couch, holding a picture of Amanda. Again. Man, Mark was getting obsessed. Corbett looked up, to see a lady sitting in the chair opposite of the couch.

"Hello! Well, you must be Corbett! I have heard a lot of you. Mark saved you from that warehouse, didn't he? It must have been traumatic to-"

"Yes, Diana, it's okay, it was traumatic. Girls, this is Diana Lamb." Mark said, and stood up. He turned around and looked at Paige and Corbett, who were now standing beside each other and looking at Diana. Paige smiled, but Corbett forced a smile. Why was that woman here?

"Dad, who is she?" Corbett said, and looked at Mark.

"Corbett, I've told you about Diana, right? We're seeing each other now for a while, so I decided I should introduce her to you two." Mark said, and smiled at Diana. Corbett narrowed her eyes. A new girlfriend? She knew she always said Mark should get a life again, but she didn't mean him to totally forget Amanda and go away with another woman!

"Okay." Corbett hissed, and looked one more time at Diana, before running out of the room, into the hallway, and eventually out of the house. She didn't liked that Diana, she had a strange feeling around that woman. _Don't think about it now, Corbett, you need to focus on ballet!_, Corbett hissed to herself, and got on her bike, to the ballet school.

Mark looked at Corbett angrily walking out the room. He smiled, awkwardly.  
>"Yes, well, that's my oldest daughter, I thought you figured that one out. Hmm... I don't think she likes the fact of me dating someone again, after Amanda." Diana nodded. He looked at Paige.<p>

"Don't you have somewhere to go?" Mark said. Paige nodded, and left the house as well.

"I know it will be difficult for them, especially for Corbett, but this is really the best thing. They can't stop the fact that I love you. When are you going to tell them?" Diana said, as she walked over to Mark and grabbed his hands. Mark sighed.

"I'm not telling them yet. You saw their reactions, they are not ready for it. I'm only going to tell them when they are really ready. Until then, they must not know it. It's for their own good." Mark said, and he kissed Diana. She nodded.

"Well, I must leave now, I still have plenty of work to do. Bye Mark, I love you." Diana said, and stroked Mark's face. He nodded, and followed her to the door.

"Bye, Mark!" Diana said, and stepped into her car and left. Mark sighed, and closed the door. He looked at his hands. Two rings.

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><p><strong>AN: Bad Mark! Well, let me know what you think! I already married a few of your reviews in my previous stories, so I want to as well with this story! (Seven partners, I must be a player!) :)**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: OKAY! So, I forgot this story completely... I also suffered from writer's block, and school began again... I just forgot, okay, sorry! And sorry for this short chapter, but that's all I have till now. Well, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Saw.**

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><p>"Alright, one more time girls!" Mrs. Padilla exclaimed, while walking over to the stereo and replaying the song one more time. Corbett sighed. She was tired, she wanted to go home. She knelt down to check her pointes. The pointes she got from Mark 6 months ago. She knew she had to buy new ones, she once had a twisted ankle from these ones, but she was in love with them. She knew she wouldn't get one of these ever again. She had to buy her next pair, Mark would forget, no matter what.<p>

"Miss Hoffman, are you with us?" Mrs. Padilla sighed, and walked over to Corbett. Corbett looked up, her eyes wide.

"Um... No... I was... Thinking." Corbett muttered.

"Aha. And I figure it was about ballet, right, Miss Hoffman?" Mrs. Padilla hissed. Corbett swallowed. Mrs. Padilla was angry at her. You didn't wanted her to be angry with you. She could kick you out of class, and you didn't had to come back ever again.

"Um.. Yes! Yes, it was about ballet!" Corbett stumbled. Mrs. Padilla rolled with her eyes, and sighed.

"Alright, I think we're done for today, girls!" Mrs. Padilla sighed, and walked away. Corbett wanted to leave the room, when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Corbett, can I speak to you for a minute?" Mrs. Padilla asked, and Corbett frowned. Mrs. Padilla never called her Corbett. She nodded.

"I know how much you love ballet, more than all the girls put together. But from what I saw today... You get distracted very easily the past few weeks. Does that have a reason?" Corbett nodded.

"My father. He's dating with a woman. Not that I want my dad to be alone the rest of his life, but I don't like her. I get a strange feeling around her." Mrs. Padilla sighed.

"Corbett, you need to remember that losing your mother wasn't only difficult for you. It was difficult for Mark as well. He needs to carry on with his life. And even thought you don't like it, he needs it." Mrs. Padilla said. Corbett nodded again.

"Thank you, Mrs. Padilla." Mrs. Padilla shook her head.

"All I want is you focusing on ballet when you're here. Talking about ballet: I have an announcement. And since you are my best student..." Corbett frowned. She never knew she was her best student.

"I got a letter from the National Academy of Dance. They are having an audition next month, and they asked me to sent my three best students to audition. I thought, maybe you wanted to?" Mrs. Padilla asked, while searching in her bag for the letter. Corbett's eyes widened. The National Academy of Dance? That was the best ballet school in the state! Mrs. Padilla looked up.

"So? What do you say?" Mrs. Padilla said. Corbett nodded, grabbed the paper out of her hands and ran out of the room. She couldn't say anything, she needed to tell Mark.

"Oh Amanda, I'm so sorry..." Mark said, as he kissed Amanda's picture again. He felt really bad about him dating with Diana, but there was no other way. He couldn't live alone anymore, with the girls, he needed to do it for the money. He knew that wasn't a good reason at all, but at least it was one. Diana was rich, and not really unattractive. She wasn't bad at all, but he felt Paige and Corbett didn't liked her. If they really didn't liked her, there wasn't coming any wedding, he wouldn't do it if they didn't wanted it.

"Daddy? Are you alright?" Paige asked, and jumped on the couch. Mark moaned.

"Yes, I am..." Paige frowned.

"Paige, honey, why don't we go walking for a moment?" Paige nodded. Mark picked up his and Paige's coat, and opened the door. Paige smiled, and walked outside, into the cold air.

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><p><strong>AN: So, let me know what you think! =)**

**O, by the way, there's a lot going to happen in this story, I guess. I'm just 'preparing' for that moment =).**


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: I apologize, again, for the HUGE delay on the chapters in this story. But it takes a lot from me to write them, it's pretty intense, and with school (and today 9/11), I'm pretty exhausted =). Anyway, enjoy this story, I know it's a little short, but it's all I have, again =). That's the downside, all chapters will be short, and it will take long to post them... Sorry!**

**Disclaimer: I do not, and will never, own Saw. Pity...**

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><p>"Hello?" Corbett ran into the house. No one. She sighed.<p>

She looked around. There was a letter on the table. Corbett walked over to it, and picked it up. _Mark Hoffman_, was what the envelope said. She turned it over; It was open. Nice, then she could read it. She took the paper out of the envelope. This must be Diana's. She unfolded the letter. It said:

_Dear Mark,_

_I'm sorry I have to talk to you like this, but I'm very busy the last few days. Maybe I'll drop by on my way to work, but don't count on it._

_Yes, of course we have to invite everybody from our work to the wedding. It's not that we hate them or something... Unless you have something against it? I figured you wouldn't, so I sent the invitations to the office._

_Don't you forget to tell the girls, they would be very upset if they didn't know it, or if they would hear it from someone else other then you._

_Lots of love, Diana._

Corbett dropped the letter, and her jaws almost literally dropped on the floor. Wedding? What wedding? And why didn't she know anything about this?

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about, daddy?" Paige asked, grabbed Mark's hand and jumped up and down.

"Paige, calm down for a moment, will you?" Mark chuckled. Seeing Paige so happy was great. He wished Corbett was that happy.

After a few silent minutes, they arrived at a park. They sat down on a bench.

"Okay, Paige, what I'm going to say to you may be shocking, but I want you to realize that there is no other option, okay? So I want you to stay calm, do you understand me?" Mark pointed out, and Paige nodded, confused. Mark took a deep breath.

"Okay. You remember Diana, don't you? The nice lady that was here a few days ago?" Paige nodded.

"Well... Diana and I are getting married soon." Mark said, but swallowed. This was harder then he thought it would be. Paige's eyes widened.

"Married?" She stuttered. He nodded.

"I'm sorry, Paige..." Mark sighed, and she just shook her head. She released his hand, and jumped up. She looked at him again, this time her eyes full with tears. Then she ran away.

"Paige! Paige, honey, please, let me explain!" Mark yelled, while running after her, but it was too late. Paige was already gone.

Corbett crushed into her room, onto her bed. How could he do that to her? After all these years, she thought she could trust him. After all these years... She thought he wouldn't need a new wife again. She buried her head into her pillow...

After ten minutes, the doorbell rang. Corbett jumped up. Who could it be? If it was Mark, she would throw the door in his face. She ran downstairs, and tried to wipe away some of her tears. She looked into the mirror in the hall, before opening the door, to find Diana standing outside. Corbett gasped, and wanted to slam the door shut, when Diana ran inside.

"Corbett, where is Mark?" Diana panted. Corbett pushed Diana back to the door.

"It's none of your business! GO!" Corbett screamed. Then, suddenly, her vision went black and she felt to the floor...

Mark hobbled through the streets, his eyes dry. He already expected such a reaction from Paige, but this much? How could he explain this to Corbett? She would be more frantic then Paige, considering she knew Amanda, and Paige didn't.  
>He reached their house, but immediately saw something odd; the door was open. And it wasn't such weather you could just leave the door open, because it was so hot. He ran inside.<p>

"Corbett?" He exclaimed, while walking around the living room. No signs of Corbett, of from Paige. He didn't liked this, not at all. He reached for his phone, and dialed Paige's number. The phone rang a few times, before reaching the answering machine. _Hi! If you've reached my answering machine, I must be doing something terribly important, or you're Stephen. Anyways, call me back!_, a happy sounding Paige dialed Corbett's number, but also, no response. _Corbett is busy right now, try again later_, a voice said. That was strange, it wasn't Corbett's. Mark swallowed. This was no good...

Paige ran through the streets. She was crying. Although she never knew Amanda in person, she knew she was a special person, and she knew Corbett really loved her. Mark loved her too, she knows that, but how could he do this? This was not fair.

"Excuse me, young miss, but are you going somewhere? Should I call your parents?", a woman asked, and grabbed Paige's arm. Paige turned around to ask the woman to let her go, when she fell to the floor, and her vision went black.

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><p><strong>AN: Not much of a surprise who did it, nah? Sorry, but this is just what came out of my hands while writing... Hope you like it! Let me know!**


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: SORRY! Sorry it took me SO long to finish this! I suffered from a MAJOR writer's block, I had NO idea what to write, and I still don't. So, I beg your pardon if this story now fails... Anyways, the last chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saw.**

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><p>Mark sat on his couch, he had no idea what he had to do now. He didn't knew where Corbett and Paige were, he had no idea where Diana was. Wait a minute- Diana. Of course. He jumped out of the couch and dialed Diana's number. It rang three times, before he heard an annoyed voice.<p>

"Diana Lamb."

"Diana? Do you know where Corbett and Paige are? I can't seem to find them and-"

"No." Diana said, simply. That was strange, Diana was never that short to him.

"Oh... Okay, thank you." Mark said, and hang up. There was something really wrong with that woman. He dialed the number of his department at the police office. Mark exclaimed straight away when he heard someone.

"Hello! This is Mark Hoffman! I need you to track down where the phone of Diana Lamb is!" Mark still exclaimed. It was quiet for a few moments, and Mark almost thought that the person hang up, when he heard the man on the other side again: "Alright, her phone's at the old factory outside the factory site." "Thank you!" Mark exclaimed, and hang up again. He knew where that was, that's not her apartment. It's the old hangar John hid in. His breath stopped for a moment. Everything fell into place. Diana always talked about finding the apprentices of John Kramer, but he never really considered she would finish that job. So now she did... She knew everything.

Corbett wanted to scream, but found out she couldn't. She was too tired to scream, she always had been. She knew Amanda and Mark weren't the nicest people before they got her, but she learned to live with it. She didn't blamed them, it was the only thing they could do. And now, she was captured as well, facing the same fate as Amanda, and soon Mark as well.

She was tied to a chair in the middle of a room, facing a mirror. She immediately found out it was a one-way-mirror; on the other side was someone watching, or was another room. Not that she could do anything, though. She just hoped Mark would come to save her.

"God dammit!" Mark exclaimed, while breaking almost every speed limit. Again. He got a major déjà moment; Driving as hell to save Amanda from Jeff, to save Corbett from the big hangar when she was just five years old, driving as hell to be just in time for Paige's birth. Driving as hell to be in time for Amanda to die in front of him and Corbett. And now, driving as hell to save the only treasures he had: Corbett and Paige.

He wanted to save them, wanted to be there, which he wasn't in the past years. He was too much thinking about Amanda, when he should've took care of Corbett. When he should've took care of Paige. Two princesses, just new to this world, wanting to prevent them from everything he and Amanda suffered from in their childhood. But he failed miserably. Amanda would never forgive him.

"Corbett, Corbett, Corbett... What a fine young woman you are. But, you know? I don't need you in my plan. You're just an obstacle, just a awful pain that won't go away." Diana said, while walking around Corbett, stroking her hear in a creepy way.

"You know why you're here, right?" Diana asked, facing Corbett. She shook her head, though she knew exactly why she was there.

"Well, than I will explain it to you. The long version or the pocket version? I think I'd prefer the short version. Very good... Well, your father, or should I say, your abductor, is still a bad man. He killed a lot of good people in the past, in the time he was still known as Mark Hoffman, the apprentice of Jigsaw. What an ugly word, right? Jigsaw. So is your "father". He's a worthless wart, not wanting to go away. Amanda already got what she deserved. Jigsaw already got what he deserved. But Mark Hoffman?" Diana said, walking through the room again.

"Is still alive." Someone said, while knocking the doors out of its socket. Corbett smiled. It was Mark.

"Diana, step away from Corbett. She has _nothing_ to do with this. It's just you and me." Mark stated. Diana smiled an evil smile.

"Very well. Corbett's no use after all." She approached Corbett, and released her. But not entirely. Diana pushed Corbett into another room, and closed the door behind Corbett. Mark followed every move. And now, she's gone too far.

Corbett was pushed in another room, and Diana closed the door behind her. It was dark, it took a few moments to get used to the dark. But when she blinked a few times, she saw it: Paige, sitting on the floor, her face wet with tears.

"Paige!" Corbett exclaimed, and approached her. When Corbett wanted to hug Paige, Paige backed away.

"Paige, don't worry, it's me, Corbett." Corbett whispered. But Paige shook her head.

"Why am I here? Why is everybody obsessed with dad?" Paige exclaimed. Corbett frowned. Well, for a nine year old, she could definitely like a grown-up.

"Paige, you already know-"

"No, I don't, obviously!" Paige exclaimed again. Corbett sighed.

"Alright, you don't, but Paige, listen to me: We lied to you for your own good."

"Yeah, right..." Paige sighed.

"No, really. Alright, you want to hear the truth? Here's the truth: You know this serial killer from a few years ago? Jigsaw? Well, he had a few apprentices, and two of them were Mark and Amanda. The families of the victims of Jigsaw, alias John, still want revenge, even after those nine years, even more than nine years. We didn't wanted you to know, 'cause it would only hurt you."

"So, here we are, at last. Do you know why I wanted to have you here?" Diana asked, her eyes almost literally making her way through his. He shook his head.

"I'm not sure." Mark sighed. She nodded.

"Okay. Do you remember Ashley Kazon? Blonde girl?" Mark nodded, hesitantly.

"Yes, I guess."

"She was my little sister. And though she was not an angel, she was really close of being one. And you killed her." Diana stated.

"No, I didn't!" Mark exclaimed, looking around him, feeling if he had any weapons with him. _Gotcha!_ He exclaimed in his mind when he felt his knife in his pockets.

"But yes you did!" Diana yelled, so full of anger. He had never seen anyone this angry, not even his parents. He grabbed the knife, turned Diana around and put the knife at her neck.

"Tell me where Corbett and Paige are!" He exclaimed, slightly pushing the knife in the flesh of her neck. She shook her head.

"TELL ME!" Mark exclaimed, this time much more louder. She shivered in his arms, not really sure what she was going to do about it. His patience was over, so he cut her neck, causing her to fall on the floor. Diana quickly felt her pocket, and got a tape recorder out of it. She hit play. Mark's breath stopped. He could hear a voice, almost similar to the one John used.

"Hello Detective Hoffman. You think you're so clever, you think you have it all. Not knowing you caused others nothing but pain. Now, it's time for you to feel pain. Corbett and Paige? Those two young ladies are in the room next to this one, but you can't open the door. Trust me." And the tape stopped. Diana dropped the tape. Mark ran to the door, and tried to open it.

"God dammit!" Mark exclaimed, and hit the door with his foot. To his surprise it opened, and he walked inside. And there he found what he feared for all these years: Corbett and Paige, in each other's arms, but covered in blood.

"No!" Mark yelled, and approached them, almost falling in his rush. He felt their pulses: Nothing. So this was it. He had nothing to live for, nothing that could prevent him from killing himself, to get him out of his misery. He thought he had it all, but he was wrong. All those years. He grabbed his gun, and put it at his head. Looking for the last time at Corbett and Paige, he pulled the trigger, and fell to the floor.

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><p><strong>AN: I wanted a happy ending, but I thought: Well, all my stories have happy endings, why not do a sad ending? And besides, this isn't really sad, you know... I mean, Mark being dead means he can see Amanda again, and Corbett and Paige... Nothing sad at all!**

**Review please!**

**Thanks for reading this and 'Game Over', I love you so much! **


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